How to Use the Future Tense in Slovak for English Speakers

Understanding the Future Tense in Slovak

The future tense in Slovak is used to talk about actions that will happen later than the present moment. Unlike English, Slovak has two main ways to form the future tense depending on the type of verb: using the verb "byť" (to be) with the infinitive for imperfective verbs, and conjugating perfective verbs directly in the future form.

Forming the Future Tense with Imperfective Verbs

For imperfective verbs, the future tense is formed by combining the future tense of the verb "byť" (to be) with the infinitive of the main verb. This construction emphasizes that the action will be ongoing or repeated in the future.

The future tense of "byť" is conjugated as follows:

• ja budem (I will be)
• ty budeš (you will be)
• on/ona/ono bude (he/she/it will be)
• my budeme (we will be)
• vy budete (you all will be)
• oni/ony budú (they will be)

Example with the verb "robiť" (to do):

• Ja budem robiť – I will be doing
• Ty budeš robiť – You will be doing
• On bude robiť – He will be doing

Forming the Future Tense with Perfective Verbs

Perfective verbs in Slovak do not use the verb "byť" to form the future tense. Instead, they have their own future forms, which are conjugated similarly to the present tense but always refer to future actions.

For example, the perfective verb "urobiť" (to do, complete) is conjugated in the future tense as:

• ja urobím (I will do)
• ty urobíš (you will do)
• on/ona/ono urobí (he/she/it will do)
• my urobíme (we will do)
• vy urobíte (you all will do)
• oni/ony urobia (they will do)

When to Use Imperfective vs Perfective Future Tense

Use the imperfective future tense when you want to express an action that will be ongoing, habitual, or repeated in the future. Use the perfective future tense to express a completed action that will happen once in the future.

Examples of Future Tense in Slovak

Here are some example sentences using both imperfective and perfective future tenses:

• Budem pracovať zajtra. (I will be working tomorrow.)
• Urobím domácu úlohu večer. (I will do the homework in the evening.)
• Budeš čítať tú knihu? (Will you be reading that book?)
• Prečítaš tú knihu do pondelka. (You will read that book by Monday.)

Tips for English Speakers Learning Slovak Future Tense

Remember that the choice between imperfective and perfective verbs is crucial in Slovak and affects the meaning of your sentence. Practice conjugating both types of verbs and pay attention to context to use the correct future form.